A wide variety of compounds have been examined by 252Cf plasma desorption mass spectrometery including cationic and anionic dyes, inorganic anti-malarials, radioactive nuclide binding ligands, 15N-glutamine, toxic terpenoid glycosides, nonapeptides, organoselenium compounds, ruthenium bipyridils, tetraalkylammonium salts, tetraphenyl porphryin complexes, cyclopeptides, and ion correlation experiments have been initiated. Several new compounds have been discovered in Ptiloglossa amazonen and the cowpea weevil. The structure of the maize and granary weevil has been elucidated as R*S*-5-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-hexanone and it has been synthesized.